


a re-arrival (of our health)

by Lake (beyond_belief)



Series: some strange person / is calling you their home [1]
Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Hungry Venom Symbiote (Marvel), M/M, POV Alternating, POV Eddie Brock, POV Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Touching, goo venom, smol venom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:26:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyond_belief/pseuds/Lake
Summary: Venom's not dead, but they're not back to their old self yet, either.
Relationships: Eddie Brock & Venom Symbiote, Eddie Brock/Venom Symbiote
Series: some strange person / is calling you their home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987927
Comments: 24
Kudos: 308





	a re-arrival (of our health)

**Author's Note:**

> me: *reads goo venom fic*  
> me: *runs out of goo venom fic*  
> me: gdi now I have to write my own
> 
> I'm not sure how my brain decided this particular thing was what we were going to find gently comforting but whatever, it's a pandemic and America is a garbage heap right now so BLOB VENOM IT IS.
> 
> (I guess this could be read as either gen or vague Eddie/Venom, depending on how you view Eddie squishing his symbiote/boyfriend.)

*

*

Pain. Heat. Pain, still. Sharp and everywhere.

Then: wetness. Cooler. Are they… in water? There is no more heat, but the pain still throbbed. 

_Host._ Eddie was also in the water. He was moving; he wasn't dying. 

Away from _host_ , they could barely form thoughts-feelings-thoughts. 

They stretch what is left of them. Found host, held on as tightly as they could hold on, managing to sink beneath his skin. The pain made them want to writhe. Eddie climbing out of the water now - onto dirt, onto land. "Venom?" he's saying - yes, that's their name, they think - "Vee? Are you still with me?"

They can't answer. They can't do anything but feel the pain. They curl up in host-Eddie's stomach, needing to rest. _Rest._ Yes. Until the pain stops.

  


When the pain is finally less and they can understand their surroundings once more, their host is asleep. On something soft and warm, with other soft-warm things around him. He smells like the ocean water. Next to the soft-warm thing he is sleeping on, there's one of those things humans drink from, and it smells like chocolate. Eddie drank melted chocolate before he fell asleep. Did he do that for Venom? 

The good chemicals are starting to do their work. After a little more time passes, the right thoughts start to arrive, in the right order. The soft-warm thing they are sleeping in is a _bed_ , and the thing host-Eddie drank from is a _mug_. 

Maybe when Eddie wakes up next, he'll make them more of the melted chocolate drink. Venom cannot do it themself. They can be in Edde, where it is warm and squishy and Eddie's heart beats comfortingly - and also where his organs look so tasty ( _no! can't eat!_ ) - or they can be a puddle of symbiote next to Eddie still touching, but that is all they can do right now. They must repair. They must rest more. 

So must host-Eddie. They can rest together.

  


"Holy shit, Venom, are you - are you alive? Why are you a puddle? Are you all right? I'm so glad you're still with me, buddy." 

They become aware of Eddie talking fast, and open their eyes. They see host, who sighs loudly. Panic is rolling in Eddie, but his hand is resting on their formless shape, gentle and warm. **Eddie,** they project. **Eddie, I am alive. Hurt.... Tired. Need to heal. Need... food.**

Host-Eddie babbles many words that they cannot concentrate on. His hands gather them close to his chest, stroking gently. His fingertips sink into them, squeezing. It feels nice, feels good. Their host-Eddie is the best; would be even better if he could get them more to eat. Don't want to eat Eddie's liver unless absolutely necessary. They ripple weakly against his skin. **Eddie… hungry. Hungry!**

"Okay, babe, I got you," Eddie breathes. Venom feels him move, getting off the soft-warm thing - bed, it's Eddie's bed - still holding them squished against his skin even though they can hold on by themself. They feel him walking, hopefully to where there is food, murmuring gently. Host-Eddie is warm, and host-Eddie will get them more of the liquid chocolate thing, and they will grow.

*

*

Eddie keeps one shaking hand cupped around Venom's viscous, slick form as he pours almond milk from the carton into the mug, then puts the mug into the microwave. "How come you're like this?" he asks as he waits for the milk to heat up. He doesn't really expect an answer, but it's scary to see Venom like this. Terrifying, even. Venom blinks small eyes upwards at him but doesn't sink beneath Eddie's skin like he must have managed to out in the Bay. "I'm really happy you're alive, man, but you're scaring me."

 **Chocolate... drink, Eddie.** Even the symbiote's voice in Eddie's head sounds tired. 

"Yep, I'm on it." The microwave beeps. "Let me stir it up, it's fucking gross if it's lumpy -" Eddie knows he's talking for no reason, and shuts up. He tears open the hot chocolate packet with his teeth and shakes the powder into the steaming almond milk. As he swirls a spoon around in it, he sees a few small tendrils emerge from the blob on his chest, reaching for the mug. 

"You don't need me to drink it for you?" he asks, confused. 

In response, more of Venom reaches towards the mug on the countertop. Eddie watches as the pseuopodia ooze around the ceramic, then flow upwards to dip into the liquid. "Careful, it's hot!" he says without thinking, but the temperature doesn't seem to bother the questing tendrils. More of Venom flows into the cup as the hot chocolate disappears, but the same amount of the symbiote still seems to be spread over Eddie's chest and resting in his palm. 

"Are you growing?"

A tentative emotion he recognizes as pleasure. **We will return to our… previous size in time,** Venom says, still with that odd gap between the words. Eddie figures it's exhaustion. **More food? Food... to grow.**

The blob of Venom in the hot chocolate mug wriggles, and Eddie realizes the symbiote is licking the ceramic clean. It would be cute if it wasn't such a strange mixture of baffling and terrifying. He takes a breath. "Okay, let's see what else I've got that you might like, but - are you staying in the mug like that? Can you - stretch okay?"

 **Eddieeeee,** Venom sighs, and flows back out of the mug into Eddie's palm. He cradles the symbiote against his chest as he goes through his cupboards and drawers - ramen noodles, an old KitKat, more hot chocolate packets. He knows there's half a pizza in the fridge. 

**If I am like this... I am not as tempted to eat your liver,** Venom says, as Eddie grabs the pizza box. 

"Okay, that's a good reason. Thanks for that. I appreciate you avoiding my organs. You want me to heat this up?"

 **Noooooo.** The symbiote ripples against him, and Eddie gently squeezes his handful. 

He puts the KitKat on top of the box and carries everything to the couch. Cold pizza, the midnight snack of champions. He looks down at the black mass and sees the small white eyes looking back up at him. "Am I eating it or are you?"

 **Both eat.** A small mouth appears, much less terrifying than Venom's normal grin, but still with sharp-looking teeth. 

Eddie offers the small mouth the pointy end of a cold slice, and Venom bites. Then Eddie takes his own bite - it's not like they don't share a body, so his spit is also Venom's spit and all that. "Next time I'll get the Meat Lover's, just for you," he says.

Venom accepts another mouthful of pizza, then ripples lazily against Eddie as he squeezes the slick surface again, still gentle, not wanting to hurt the symbiote. Venom does seem to like his touch, though, sending that pleased feeling once more before asking, **What is… meat lover's?**

*

*

Host-Eddie feeds them the thing he calls pizza, then shares the good crunchy chocolate bar. When the food is gone, Venom feels a little stronger and a little bit bigger, but knows they have to eat and rest for many more cycles before they're completely restored. They don't like this being small, but at least they're with host-Eddie, and they know he'll take care of them.

They melt against Eddie and he squeezes them with his soft human fingers. "Guess it's second bedtime for Eddies and Venoms," they hear him say, and feel him stand up. 

Back in the soft bed, Venom ripples and rolls themselves against Eddie's chest, tendrils stretching to squeeze at Eddie's bony shoulders. "Are you staying out here while we sleep?" Eddie asks, and Venom looks up at their host's face. They feel Eddie's fingers stroke softly above where their eyes have manifested. 

**Yes. Still tempted… by liver.**

"I mean, thanks for not eating me? But I don't want to roll over and smush you."

**Could not smush us even if you tried.**

They feel Eddie squeeze them lightly yet again. "If you say so."

**I say so.**

Host-Eddie turns on his side. Venom pools against him and feels Eddie's warm palm cup over most of them. "I was scared you were dead," their Eddie whispers.

 **Not dead. Just… very small. Most of us was hurt.** They feel a throb of sadness in Eddie, and he squeezes them. **But still here, Eddie. Still here.**

  


Venom doesn't sleep the way Eddie sleeps, as their systems do not need to shut down and recover in the same way, but they like the way Eddie feels when he's asleep. It helps them rest. It feels like way floating in space used to feel. Weightless and light. Venom's never been this injured before, or needed this much healing. They know it will take time but it makes them grumpy. 

Eddie does roll over as he sleeps, flattening them between his stomach and the bed. Venom likes the warm, dark place. It feels safe.

  


Host-Eddie says they have to go to the store and exchange money for food, or else there won't be anything he calls breakfast. **Hungry, Eddieeeeee,** Venom moans, trying very hard not to nibble on Eddie's pancreas. It's a struggle. They're so hungry it aches. Pancreas is delicious.

"I know, babe, I know." Eddie squeezes the part of Venom that's currently manifested on his left lower ribcage. "We ate all the pizza last night, so we need groceries."

**Chocolate.**

"We'll get some," Eddie promises. Venom pulses, trying not to let Eddie feel how miserable they are without food. "Maybe we can figure out what's in chocolate that you like so much, it could be in other stuff." 

Their host makes them another mug of hot chocolate before leaving the apartment, and Venom licks the ceramic clean again before flattening against Eddie's stomach under his shirt. Eddie keeps a warm hand resting on them all the way to the store, where he buys a colorful package of a candy he calls em-and-ems before even getting a cart. Most of the little drops, Eddie eats for them, but he sneaks a few under his shirt for Venom to eat themselves. The drops crunch in their teeth. "Feeling better?" Eddie asks.

 **For now.** They spread out against Eddie's skin. **Thank you. What else… for food?**

Eddie goes through the store, mumbling to Venom about what he might buy, looking things up on his phone. Venom looks at his thoughts and figures out Eddie is trying to find things that share chemicals with chocolate and potatoes. "Eggs?" Eddie whispers.

They press agreeably against host-Eddie's side. **We will try them.**

*

*

All Eddie knows the symbiote likes is chocolate and tater tots, so he gets a couple of the cheap bags of frozen potatoes in various forms, a bunch of generic chocolate chips, and an entire box of almost-expired Hershey bars that's on the store's clearance rack. The internet says chicken's also got the… phenethlawhatever, and the rotisserie ones are on sale, so he gets one of those. A loaf of bread, and some cheese, because even if the symbiote only wants chocolate, Eddie wants grilled cheese for lunch. And probably for dinner, too.

Back at the apartment, he feels Venom slide up his chest to drape over the place where his neck and shoulder join, and sees the little white eyes watching as he puts the food away. "How do you want your eggs?" Eddie asks. He reaches a hand up to pat the symbiote, a little disappointed that Venom's no longer in a place Eddie can easily squeeze. 

**Don't know. Are there a lot of ways?** There's a pause. **Humans do not… eat them raw, I can tell from your thoughts.**

"You can have one raw, V," Eddie laughs. He holds it up. "Good for the brain, or so they say. Protein and all that."

Tendrils reach for the egg. It disappears into Venom's suddenly wider mouth, then Eddie hears a crunch. **Eddie!**

"I know!" He gives Venom another to crunch raw before he cracks three into a bowl and whisks them up.

**What are you doing to the eggs?**

"Gonna cook 'em up." Eddie gets a pan on the stove, then says, "It's hot, so be careful."

The symbiote shrinks back a little, pressing against his neck. Eddie reaches up to squeeze them quickly before adding some cooking oil to the pan. He sniffs it first - not rancid, thank fuck. **What are you doing now?** Venom asks, even though they could have rifled through Eddie's mind for the answer.

"Pouring the eggs into the pan… the heat will cook them - make them more solid." Eddie scrapes all the drips into the pan, then stirs the eggs around on the heat. He glances at Venom, whose eye-spots are watching what Eddie's doing to the eggs. The symbiote rubs against his neck again. 

The eggs cook quickly. When they're done, Eddie dumps them into a bowl and shakes on some salt and pepper. "How long do you think you're going to be… small?" he asks, sitting down at the table to eat. 

**Until we get bigger,** Venom replies. 

"Yeah, I got that - I mean, like - a few days? A few weeks?" He chews a bite of the eggs, then offers Venom a forkful. The symbiote accepts it almost delicately.

**NOT DELICATE.**

"You're the one who's small right now."

**We are NOT. Eddie! APOLOGIZE.**

Eddie reaches up and squeezes the lump of Venom lightly. **Eddieeeeee,** Venom grumbles, pressing against his neck. 

Eddie squeezes again, almost kneading. The manifested blob of symbiote under his hand is slick, but not sticky, and seems to vibrate a little the more Eddie rubs. He feels the grumpy-feeling that had started leeching from Venom when he called the symbiote _small_ dissolve entirely. "More eggs?"

*

*

Host-Eddie feeds them more of the eggs he calls scrambled, and the scrambled ones help with their hunger - but the raw ones that crunch in their teeth are more satisfying, because they _crunch_. "I can't even care that it's gross, because I'm just glad you're not dead," Eddie says, as he gives them another egg to chomp.

Venom chews it up, satisfied, then licks up what they dripped. **We have eaten human breakfast,** they announce. **Chocolate now, Eddie!**

"Okay, you can have chocolate - if I can work on some of my article pitches. We gotta get a job if we want to buy the good candy bars."

Venom knows what work is, and it does not sound stimulating. **But we just saved the world from Riot!**

"That was almost two weeks ago, you were sleeping for a long time," Eddie says quietly, and reaches up to pat them. "I still have to make rent, saving the world or not. And since you guys are aliens, we can't talk about how it all actually went down."

**Stupid!**

"I know, babe. But I still have to make money."

**And what after that!**

Host-Eddie drinks some of the coffee he made for himself. It's not as good as the chocolate drink, in Venom's opinion. "You rest and digest while I write for a few hours, and then it'll be lunch, and I'll make grilled cheese and French Fries."

Those are like tater tots. **This is... an acceptable trade,** they tell Eddie. They nuzzle against his neck.

He pours the little pieces of chocolate into a bowl and sets it on the table next to his laptop. Venom can reach from his shoulder, but it's still a stretch. **Eddieeeee,** they moan, wanting the chocolate closer. 

"Climb down, then." He's already focused on the words he's spelling out with the letter keys. Venom understands they cannot have his attention all the time, even if they want. But Eddie got them food, and a whole bowl of chocolate bits. Venom will let him work. 

They slide down his arm and onto the table, and sit next to the bowl, staying connected to Eddie by a web of tendrils. They eat the chocolate bits one at a time to savor them. Every so often, Eddie will look at them and stop typing, and pat them gently. 

They've eaten about half of the chocolate chips when Eddie stops typing and tips his head sideways several times as he looks at the screen. His face looks - Venom isn't the best with human faces. **Is work difficult?** they ask.

"What? Oh, just - trying to think of the right word, you know."

 **That is not something we can help with. But maybe have… chocolate?** They nudge the bowl slightly closer to host-Eddie.

"Thanks, V." Eddie tosses a few chips into his mouth, then pats them again.

**Eddie… squeeze?**

"What, you like that?" His face looks confused; Venom knows that one because he can also feel it thrumming Eddie's lungs.

 **Yes. Makes us feel…** They have to pause to think the words right. **Here. Makes us feel like we're here.**

"Yeah, sure." Host-Eddie squeezes them, his fingertips sinking into their form. It's nice. They can feel every line of his fingerprints, and taste the molecules of melted chocolate on his skin. He rolls his palm, and they're squished slightly between his hand and the table. "Huh, like bread," their host says.

 **You have never made bread,** they accuse, because they can see in Eddie's mind that he's never done such a thing. **And I am symbiote! Not bread!**

"You squish like bread dough," Eddie says, and pushes them gently against the table.

 **No!** But their protest is weak, because they've found it makes them very happy to have host-Eddie manipulate their current form like this. It moves the chocolate-chemicals all through them. 

"I'm gonna get some bread dough, and we can compare."

**And then eat!**

*

*

Eddie finishes up his article pitches and sends them off. One of his old network contacts emailed yesterday, saying that an editor at the Globe is interested in some of the work he's done in the past, but also that if the Globe lets him write, he'll have to do it under a pen name.

That's fine with Eddie. As long as he gets paid, he doesn't care. Anything is better than having to apply for dishwasher jobs, or ask Mrs. Chen if her cousin needs a busboy at his restaurant. Not that those aren't honest jobs, but finding stories that people need to know about, figuring out who is responsible for whatever bad things happen in San Francisco, that's what Eddie is _meant_ to do. 

He hopes he can do it again and make a living at it. Journalism jobs aren't the easiest to come by these days. 

Venom slides up his arm to rest against his neck. Eddie looks down to see the small white eyes watching his face. **The chocolate drops are gone.**

"You really went to town on them." He stretches his arms out, wiggling his fingers. "Okay, I'm done for now. Hopefully this guy gets back to me in the next few days."

**Human work is stupid.**

"Yeah, sometimes it is. But we gotta make rent somehow."

There's a pause, and Eddie can tell the symbiote is working something out. **You are a good human, Eddie. You want to take care of us.**

He reaches up to squeeze. "Thanks, man. Think we can get in a walk around the block before lunch? I need to work out some of these kinks from sitting in this chair."

**Then food!**

  


It's clouded over more since their trip to the grocery store, but it's not raining. Eddie pulls his hood up again so Venom can watch from under it. The symbiote is quiet as Eddie walks. He can feel that they're still tired, but it must be getting better, because the voice in his head since breakfast hasn't had as many odd pauses. 

He's also not sure how to address Venom like this, when the symbiote is just resting as a gooey black blob on various parts of Eddie's body. The deep voice had made him just go with _him_ , for that short time before, before they fell off the rocket. And _it_ seems… impersonal? Like Venom is a thing, and not a living being.

 **We are not a thing, we are Venom!** Venom shouts.

"I know," Eddie hurries to reassure. "I was just thinking about - how I should think about you, you know?" 

He feels Venom looking at his thoughts to understand what he means. **You referred to us as _him_ before, because we looked and sounded in a way that aligned… with the human male.**

Yeah, that's basically it. They've reached the end of this block; Eddie turns right.

**We present as such because you are a human male.**

Eddie thinks he gets that, remembering how Venom with Anne had looked like… well, Venom with Anne. His feelings about that are still a jumble of confusion he's not sure he can sort out at the moment. Maybe next week. Or next month. He slips a hand into his hood to pet the blob. "Well, right now you're like… Jell-o, kind of. Which doesn't have a gender. Maybe I'll just think of you as _them_ for now."

 **So long as you do not think of me as this Jell-o,** they grumble.

Eddie grins to himself. "The list on the internet said gelatin was pretty high in that chemical you like. We could get some Jell-o. The store brand. It's cheap."

Venom feels willing to try.

*

*

Host-Eddie makes what he calls _grilled cheese_ for them back at the apartment. Venom watches from his shoulder as he spreads some butter on slices of bread - he lets them eat a piece first - and layers a few pieces of the orange cheese in between. They recoil when he turns the stove on again, and he squeezes them gently. "It's just for cooking, babe."

**Do not like the stove.**

"I'll be careful," Eddie promises.

 **What is the cooking for?** they ask, when Eddie puts the sandwiches in the frying pan.

"Melts the cheese, and the bread gets all crispy and toasted. It's delicious, I promise."

They can feel this is a thing Eddie really likes to eat. **We will try it, because you like it.**

"See? Compromise, it's great."

 **And when we are big again, you will try hunting, for us,** they press.

"Hunting like - animals? In the woods?" 

**We will be Venom, and you do not have to watch,** they try, as host-Eddie is clearly feeling apprehensive about live prey. Even though it is the best kind.

He turns the sandwich over. Venom looks at it. The bread is changing color just like Eddie said it would. "As long as I don't have to watch. And we go far enough away from other humans that there's no chance someone will see."

 **We thought some humans did hunt.** They hadn't bonded strongly enough with host-Maria to see many of her memories, but one they had seen was of a man she thought of as _Father_ , skinning a deer. 

Host-Eddie has never hunted animals like that, they know.

"Some do, I guess. I don't think too many people in San Francisco go hunting, though. This is such a weird conversation."

Venom rubs against Eddie's neck, watching as he assembles another of this grilled cheese. The first gets dumped out onto a paper towel. They reach a tendril out towards it, but are stopped by Eddie's hand. **I thought it was to eat! Eddie!**

"I'm making a few. And it's too hot to eat, the cheese would burn you."

**No burning.**

"You let it sit a minute, the cheese will be just perfect. Stretchy and melted. Like you at the moment."

 **I am not stretchy and melted!** they insist, even as they nuzzle Eddie's neck some more. **Soon we will be strong again, and Eddie will not insult us.**

"Hey, I meant it in a nice way. I kind of like you like this." 

Venom growls quietly. Eddie laughs, which makes them growl more, but then he reaches up and squeezes them with butter-flavored fingers. Promises they can eat the sandwiches as soon as the current one comes off the stove. 

The grilled cheese is crispy and buttery, just as Eddie said it would be. He tears off little bites for Venom to eat, so they try their best to avoid nipping his fingers with their teeth. "So, what's the verdict?"

 **It is not pancreas, but you like it, so we like it.** That feels like it counts as compromise to them. If host-Eddie is happy they're still bonded, Venom will work on being agreeable. 

They need to rest when the sandwiches are gone. **Nap, Eddieeeeeee.**

"You need a nap?" Eddie's washing his hands in the sink. "Yeah, I could nap. Let's do it."

He stretches out on the sofa, and Venom manifests out of his chest, where they can feel Eddie's heartbeat both from the inside and from out. Eddie squeezes them gently. Venom remembers Eddie squishing them against the table at breakfast and wants that again, but later, when they don't feel so lethargic. 

Rest now. Host-Eddie falls asleep with his hand cupped over them.

  


In rest, they remember the pain-heat-pain, protecting host-Eddie from the rocket as it burns up. They remember _goodbye, Eddie_ , and Eddie's desperately shouted _Venom, no!_ as the two of them crashed into the cold water. The pain that had gripped the bits of Venom that remained as they tried to gather all of them back together, back to Eddie.

"V," Eddie is saying. "V, you're shaking, are you okay? Are you sick?" He flattens his palm gently over them. "Venom?"

 **Eddieee…** They realize they're trembling, and feel ashamed. How can they protect Eddie when they're so weak?

"No, babe, you're okay," Eddie whispers. They feel his hands gather them up, then a soft press of his lips. A kiss. Gratitude floods them. "You took care of me, now let me take care of you, just for now."

**We do not deserve a host like Eddie.**

"You deserve a better host, but seems like fate's already decided we're made for each other, so you get to be stuck with me." Amusement bubbles in Eddie. "Literally." 

Gratitude spins through them again. There's another squeeze of Eddie's hands, then another kiss. He asks, "Was it just a bad dream?"

They don't dream like humans do, but the comparison is close enough. **Just a bad memory.**

"We could watch some TV, distract us," Eddie says. He's already reaching for the remote that controls the box. "I might fall asleep again," he warns.

Venom watches as he flips through the various things showing on the television - they hadn't gotten to experience much of what humans called _entertainment_ before, and they're fascinated by how humans do so many things just because they like doing them, including watching lots of things some humans act in as their jobs, just to entertain other humans. **We think you would be a good actor, Eddie,** they offer. 

"I used to be on TV, before I messed it all up. But as myself, reporting on stuff." He strokes a gentle hand over them and changes programs a few more times until he finds a man preparing food. "How about this for a while?"

The man is currently cutting apart a chicken. Venom tucks themselves into more of a round shape for host-Eddie to squeeze. **What is he doing to that chicken?**

"Mmm, I think he's going to fry it up. Fried chicken." 

Venom looks at Eddie's memories to see what that means. **We would eat this fried chicken!**

"Okay, but we gotta eat the other chicken I bought first." Eddie squeezes them. "Maybe tomorrow? There's a place a few blocks away that usually has a special, and their good mashed potatoes come with it."

**We are also willing to try all the kinds of potatoes.**

"Good, 'cuz they're pretty cheap." He squeezes them firmly, and Venom vibrates happily. "You like that?"

**Like very much! From you, Eddie.**

"That's… oddly sweet." Eddie keeps squeezing rhythmically, and they feel the last of the Badness in the heat-pain-heat memories begin to dissolve. "This is okay with you, right?"

The touch of Eddie's hand is nice enough that they're not immediately cognizant of the question. **Is what okay? That your hand squeezes us? Yes, it is nice. We like the sensation.**

 _We feel… loved,_ Venom does not add, but feels it loudly enough that Eddie must understand, because his touch turns almost caressing. On-screen, the man is dipping the chicken pieces in scrambled eggs. **Like we ate for breakfast!**

"Yeah, that's how they get the breading to stick." 

Venom watches with interest. If they're going to stay bonded to Eddie, and they're going to need to eat as humans do most of the time, and they will have to figure out the foods that they both like. That much has been clear from their day with Eddie so far. **Can you make this meal?**

"I am a shitty cook, babe." A strong squeeze, and Venom shudders happily, melting into more of a loose puddle before firming up into the ball-shape for Eddie to squeeze again. "But we live in a city with a lot of good places to get takeout from, so you can try a lot of stuff. So long as I can pay for it."

This exchanging money for things and services again. They send a questioning feeling. Eddie laughs, and the nice rumbling of it vibrates through Venom. "No, we're not going to steal stuff. Or eat out of the dumpster."

They push up against host-Eddie's hand so that he will squeeze them more, and he does, curling his fingers into their mass, then relaxing to squish them against his chest with his hand. "Yes?" Eddie asks.

**Yes, it feels nice. More.**

Host-Eddie puts the remote down to squeeze Venom with both hands. Then he pulls his hands apart to stretch them slightly, making them tremble, only to deliberately squish them again. 

**Now tell me about foods we can get in this city,** Venom demands happily. They ripple against Eddie's palms, feeling melty in the best way, and the sound of Eddie's voice talking about _sushi_ and something called _phở_ lulls them into resting once more.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr post](https://alakeeffectgirl.tumblr.com/post/630163752143192065/a-re-arrival-of-our-health-lake) if you'd like to share!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [came all this way (to hold our hand)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26981770) by [Lake (beyond_belief)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyond_belief/pseuds/Lake)
  * [knead/need](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27171406) by [Lake (beyond_belief)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyond_belief/pseuds/Lake)




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